2017-18 Top Health Gurus
Dietspotlight Picks - 42 Top Health Gurus
I think we can all agree that as a society we have become more aware of the importance of healthy living and taking care of ourselves through nutrition and exercise. We see it being implemented into not only our lifestyles but our children’s lives as well. Schools and parents alike have begun to tackle the obesity issues of our society by educating children on how to eat healthy, offering healthy alternatives in school cafeterias, and reiterating the importance of physical exercise which has become increasingly important in our technology-based lives.
Many companies and individuals, who can be labeled as health gurus, are also in the business of helping people live long, happy, healthy lives.
Here are 42 Top Health Gurus:
Why Eat Healthy?
A healthier lifestyle means fewer health issues caused by poor nutrition and obesity, including diabetes and heart disease. However, poor diet and an unhealthy lifestyle not only affects our physical selves, but it can also impact our mental states, daily life, mood, and energy levels too. In fact, research has shown that a healthy diet and lifestyle can help people manage and prevent certain mental health issues.
Why Don’t More People Live Healthy if it is so Important?
A big part of why people do not implement a healthier lifestyle is due to a lack of time, money, education on health resources, access to healthy alternatives, motivation, or a combination of these. Many of the individuals and companies on this list help address those issues so that people can learn to make better choices for themselves regardless of their situation. Thus, this article includes links to health organizations and gurus so that you can become more informed and reach these important resources so that you too can live life to the fullest.
Josh Rosenthal
In 1992, Joshua Rosenthal founded the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. His commitment to making the world a healthier and happier place began with changes to his diet and lifestyle. Through these changes, he soon realized that there were so many benefits to be reaped from proper nutrition. That newfound knowledge created a fiery passion within him that he had to share with others.
Gretchen Rubin
Rubin may have started out in the field of law where she found much success clerking for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. However, her heart had a different path it wanted to follow. She soon realized that she wanted to write. Again, finding great success in her new passion, she strives to share insights into learning how to become happier in your life. Her inspirational writing and podcasts can help individuals establish better habits and break old ones. Removing bad habits opens up a much healthier avenue of living. Listen to or read some of her motivating words to learn about yourself and find how to live a happier and fuller life.
Mark Sisson
As the founder of the website, Mark’s Daily Apple in 2006, Mark Sisson decided his goal for its creation would be to help others find empowerment in their life habits. This seemed almost second nature to him since he is a former elite athlete who ventured off his original track of working towards his education in the medical field to reach for the dream of making it on the Olympic marathon team. As time went on, he found he held more passion in motivating people to break their mainstream thoughts on health to become more open-minded and responsible for their quality of life through their health. Mark’s Daily Apple offers inspiring and motivating information to help guide you to a more active and full life with the smallest amount of sacrifice possible.
Chris Kresser
Kresser has been named as one of the most influential people in health and fitness. With over fifteen years of teaching, practicing, and studying alternative medicine he has become a guru for educating others on how to take their health into their own hands. After his personal experience with a chronic illness, Chris delved deep into searching for healing methods that worked after so many doctors were unable to help. Through the use of his private practice, informational blogs, and podcasts he teaches a practical and tailored way for people to address underlying causes instead of suppressing immediate symptoms as conventional medicine does. He also shows each patient how they are unique and how alternative healthcare methods can cater to your individuality.
Michelle Tam
Michelle Tam (with some husbandly help and inspiration) is the author and creator of Nom Nom Paleo website. It is dedicated to educating others on the benefits of eating “ancestral.” From personal life experience, she has seen the wonders it has created in her own home with her own family. Michelle offers informative podcasts, recipes, and food blogs to help introduce you to the healthy world of Paleo that can improve your life, health, and crush those cravings. Learn to thrive, enjoy more energy, and feel better than you have in ages.
Dr. Frank Lipman
The website, Be Well was founded by Dr. Frank Lipman in 2010. His goal is to help you find ways to be at your best every day. To accomplish this Dr. Lipman helps steer patients away from fad and celebrity endorsed quick fixes and turns them to more long-term health options. His products and services include detox, education, corporate wellness options, and health coaching that caters to each person’s needs. Using these products and services, Dr. Lipman attempts to give people a way to build a healthy lifestyle through nutrition, exercise, stress management, and supplements to be able to achieve the highest, happiest day to day life.
Kimberley Snyder
Kimberly Snyder introduces a beauty detox lifestyle so that everyone can heal themselves from the inside out. On her site, you can find tons of information, recipes that are completely plant-based, tips on nutrition, yoga, and even all natural beauty advice. She discovered healthy living while combating her severe acne, weight issues, and low energy levels. With her newfound health and happiness, she felt the need to share her success and help others struggling with similar issues find a way to live life beautifully and happily.
Rich Roll
After struggling with his life battles that included an addiction problem that sent him spiraling out of control, Rich Roll had an epiphany that would put him on the course to an incredibly healthy life. He has become a popular public speaker, nutrition advocate, and well-published writer. Rich became dedicated to a vegan diet and started life-changing habits to shed weight and get his body back in health. Rich has even accomplished making the “25 Fittest Men in the World” list. His website shares podcasts and information on how to transform your life as well through his plant power revolution.
Matt Frazier
In 2009, No Meat Athlete was founded by Matt Frazer. He truly believes that a plant-based diet can lead to a happier, healthier life because he has experienced it. After going vegetarian, he found many successes in the marathon circuits. With his site, you are given the tools to try out a vegetarian diet for yourself so that you too can experience higher energy levels, weight loss, easier digestion, better performance, fast recovery, and a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Visit his site for recipes, training and transition tips, and plenty of inspiration.
Eric Cressey
As the co-founder of Cressey Sports Performance, a highly ranked athletic facility, Eric Cressey is no stranger to pushing people towards their highest and healthiest potential. He has provided extensive training to hundreds of athletes from youth to Olympic. Eric is also an established writer with plenty of his physical accolades to boast. His focus is in kinesiology and biomechanics, and he strives to instruct others to reach peak performance through maximum strength improvement, corrective workouts, and custom program implementation.
Drew Canole and FitLife.tv
Overweight and fatigued, Drew Canole, had found a knack in business ventures but had neglected his health. That was until one day, with the help of a friend and a glass of bright green juice, he realized it was time to rectify that aspect of himself. He wanted more out of life and also wanted to help others find that same passion and happiness. He started juicing and consuming real, whole foods, and his life-changing journey began. With the amazing transformation, he experienced he just had to share his success and help others change their lives. Drew teaches others through his website, videos, and blogs how to get to where he is and how juicing and nutrition can change the world.
Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
Both extremely successful in the world of real estate, Gary Keller and Jay Papasan have co-authored a book called, “The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results.” Gary has also authored other self-help books that have become national bestsellers. He is a sought-after speaker and coaches others to find that one passion they can focus on to find great success as well. Their belief that there is one thing that can motivate and drive you is the focus to get you to your true happiness.
Lindsay Livingston
An Ohioan and mother of two, Lindsay has a passion fueled by healthy living and nutrition. She dedicates her website blog towards teaching others on how to implement a healthy and balanced lifestyle. You will find tips, recipes that are simple, nutritional, delicious and non-restrictive, lots of information, and exercises to use as a resource. Lindsay wants to show others that healthy living does not have to cost a lot or be difficult to follow. She is also a registered dietician so you can expect a wealth of knowledge to draw from.
Tracy Anderson
Tracy Anderson may be a name you already recognize. She is often dubbed as “Trainer to the Stars” because of her extensive work with celebrities. Her focus is not on an over-exaggerated or unattainable physical form. Instead, Tracy helps others create the elegant and strong composition of a dancer. She has created a line of DVDs and a web series in collaboration with Gwyneth Paltrow called “The Restart Project,” dedicated to giving others the opportunity to use her training at home to achieve their health and fitness goals. Visit her site for answers to your questions, daily workouts, and many other tools to empower you and help you find your best self.
Natalie Jill
Natalie Jill is a former corporate America member who decided to dedicate herself to assisting others to simplify nutrition and fitness making a healthy lifestyle something anyone can achieve. Finding her passion in health and fitness lead her to pursue training as a master sports nutritionist and functional fitness trainer. Though she has become very successful in her branding and business, her main focus remains to help others take control of their health and their lives. She also uses her corporate knowledge to help others build and monetize their online brand.
Mike Reinold
As a well-known leader in the field of sports medicine and performance, rehabilitation, and fitness Michael Reinold utilizes his knowledge in specialized niches of sports medicine including biomechanics and muscle imbalances to help others including professional baseball players. He has co-founded Champion Physical Therapy and Performance in Massachusetts, consults for the Chicago Cubs, and has an extensive background in working with major League Baseball. Through his clinical work and research, Michael strives to teach others through physical therapy, personal training, and seminars so that they can excel at their sport or get back from an injury safely and quickly.
Diamond Dallas Page
One guru who has become very popular is former WWE wrestler Diamond Dallas Page. Yoga is a practice that is predominantly practiced by females. However, through his years of high-impact sports involvement, Dallas suffered through many of his injuries. When he was inflicted with ruptured spinal discs, he decided to try yoga out. With success he found in it, Dallas used his background to implement other forms of exercise into what he learned about yoga. This made his form not only more effective but friendly for all lifestyles and genders. Through his website, you can purchase DVDs and become more educated on the benefits of DDP yoga, exercise, and nutrition. He hopes to motivate others, especially those in high-impact sports.
Jenny Hadfield
Jenny Hadfield is a fitness expert and blogger for Johnson Fitness and Wellness. Wearing many hats beyond just blogging that include being a published writer, a coach, a public speaker, and an endurance athlete she has a wealth of knowledge to share. Her background is in Exercise Physiology and Exercise Science which only adds to her knowledge base. She is a devoted runner herself and looks to share how adding running to your routine is possible and can open a wealth of health for your body and lifestyle.
Dr. David L. Katz
Dr. Katz has been named one of the most influential people in health and fitness on more than one occasion. He is a board-certified preventive medicine physician, is renowned as a thought trailblazer in nutrition, chronic disease prevention, weight control, as well as integrative medicine. Dr. Katz has also been a part of many organizations that spear-head change in tackling health issues, childhood obesity, healthier lifestyles, and he has even invented the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System to help everyday people learn to manage their diets and make healthier choices. Dr. Katz continues to do clinical research to provide important findings to students and families, and many institutes and schools with guidance to implementing healthy choices for all.
Tribesports
Tribesports is a website where you can join communities of others who are like-minded in your pursuits and health interests. Together you can share tips and successes allowing you to create a terrific support group. There are challenges you can partake of, inspiration, information to help you excel at your sport of choice, and many fun ways to interact with the community. You can find loads of inspiration and so many supportive yet competitive members who will push you to reach greatness. There is also a great line of workout apparel to check out.
Food Inspiration
Food Inspiration gives influential foodies a platform to share their inspirations and observations about the nutritional world. Here you can find trends and so much information you can apply to making better and healthier food choices in your own life. They offer a free subscription to their Food Inspiration magazine so that you can stay up to date on research and the good and bad of current food trends. If you are someone who is active in the food world, you will find essential concepts and information that can also help strengthen your business.
Dr. Yoni Freedhoff
Dr. Freedhoff teaches his patients and readers his philosophy of the negative effects and reasons that strict fad diets are not practical. He believes that to successfully reap long-term benefits of weight loss and healthy changes to your lifestyle, you must enjoy those changes. As he took in patients, he noticed that illness related to being overweight or nutritional deficiencies was atop killer and saw the horrible effects it had on those he treated. Thus, Dr. Freedhoff decided to become more educated about nutrition and has since become a well-respected weight loss expert. Now he reaches beyond his patients to educate and spread the knowledge of how people can learn to live a healthy lifestyle they enjoy and not just tolerate.
Rachel Brathen
Rachel Brathen is better known by millions as, “Yoga Girl.” She has one of the largest yoga followings on Instagram where she shares her wisdom. You can join her community to learn more about the benefits of implementing yoga into your life, learn poses, find inspiration, and even find out more about prenatal yoga. Rachel also holds retreats and classes and is a published writer. She has dedicated her entire being to Yoga and endeavors to guide and enthuse others to join the movement.
Shaun T
Shaun T has established himself widely as a fitness guru. His workouts are incredibly fun blending his background in dance and fitness. He took the fitness world by storm with these enjoyable yet challenging workouts that gave users incredible results. He continues to ramp up and create new and exciting offerings you can do in your own home. Shaun T is incredibly motivational and can get you to push yourself into a whole body transformation that will increase your energy, tone your body, and give you ultimate self-confidence all while you have such a good time that you do not even realize how hard you are working.
The Native Society
The Native Society seeks to Inspire thought leadership through their Positive Perspective Platform. They spread inspiration of global health by presenting hand-picked content created by carefully selected individuals including people recognized as experts and leaders in their industry, role models, and entrepreneurs. Their mission is to provide and recommend the content of the highest quality to their readers to encourage, motivate and educate them. To accomplish this, The Native Society uses their contributors as a resource of inspiration who can provide first-hand experience, achievements, and information to bring out everyone’s driving forces in life.
Mike Boyle
Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning offers results-driven training to those seeking their highest performance possible. They can help you reach your goals whether that is in regards to a specific sport, weight loss goals, or healthy lifestyle changes. They have professional in-house trainers that provide motivation, guidance, and knowledge to get you on the right path to your better self. They also house a full staff of massage therapists, physical therapists and trainers to aid in athletes looking to recover from injury. As a group, the Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning staff strive to provide the greatest experience with results you can be proud of.
Lisa Cain
Also known as “snack girl, “Lisa Cain started her website to help others find healthier alternatives to the prepackaged junk food found on store shelves. She had battled with weight loss herself and decided that if she could replace the usual culprits in snacking, that she could make it easier to shift her overall eating habits towards a healthier lifestyle. She focused on how much better those healthy snacks made her feel when compared to the junky ones. Snack Girl now shares her healthy snacking tips and tricks with all of her readers so that they too can make that change in their lives and start feeling better. She has even expanded to include regular meals as well and has received so much appreciation for making nutrition practical.
Josh Leve
AFS is a group that helps support fitness studio and gym owners pursue their passion of helping others lead a healthy lifestyle. Founded by Josh Leve, who grew up in a gym and fitness industry family, offers his expertise to AFS members who are looking to start their gym who compete with the big box corporations. This site will help keep you updated on trending subjects, shows owners how to connect with more clientele and influencers, grow your business, and keep track of your data.
Live in the Now
Inspiration to live your life to its fullest potential that is what Live in the Now strives to aid you in. Through education, empowerment, and inspiration, they feel they can help you learn to live more naturally and healthier. Live in the Now gives you content that shows you how to live in harmony with nature, be proactive about illness prevention, minimizing environmental toxin exposure, natural healing options before you turn to pharmaceutical solutions and a ton of inspiration. All content is free of charge and tackles topics and issues that are important to keeping you healthy, happy, and in harmony with a natural lifestyle.
Jennifer Iserloh
Jennifer Iserloh is a classically trained chef who uses her website to bring you easy to prepare and nutritious recipes. She is a published writer, blogger, yoga teacher, and holds a graduate degree in Integrative Nutrition. Jennifer offers weekly tips and recipes delivered straight to your inbox. Many of her recipes are also great for those needing to watch sodium or sugar intake. Her ultimate goal is to help others reach a healthy state of being through eating healthy and promoting natural weight loss.
Todd Durkin
Todd Durkin is the founder of Fitness Quest 10 located in California. He is recognized worldwide for his contributions as a motivational speaker, speed and conditioning coach, writer and educator. Todd has worked with many elite athletes including pro ball players and Olympic athletes. He has also received many accolades including being named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Health & Fitness on numerous occasions. He provides corporate team building workshops as well as many other motivational and educational platforms to fuel a passion for making the best of your body through exercise.
Mark Fisher
Mark Fisher has given like-minded individuals a platform of support. The community he has helped to create shares a full-on driving passion for getting into shape and supporting one another through their body transformations. They pride themselves on helping beginners get started as well as pushing hardcore fitness enthusiasts to get to the next level. He gives you access to training coaches and strategies that are scientifically backed to safely and effectively get you to your goals. And above all else, you are held accountable for your progress. This encourages you to push forward which is easier with the incredible encouragement you receive from staff as well as other members.
Ben Greenfield
The writer of the New York Times Best Seller, “Beyond Training,” Ben Greenfield shares his extensive fitness and wellness know-how with readers. He gives a sensible method to balance fitness, nutrition and health to inspire others to live healthier and improve their overall quality of life. He is a sought-after speaker due to his ability to educate in no only an inspirational way, but an interesting and entertaining way too. With over 11 years of coaching experience and a plethora of knowledge and education, Ben Greenfield has much to teach through his blogs, podcasts, and contributions to other publications.
Brett Hoebel
Most known for his 20-minute body book and line of DVDs, Brett Hobel creates fitness programs to motivate others to a healthier lifestyle. He is highly sought after for fast weight loss techniques, nutritional education, and motivation. Brett has been certified through many health organizations and has either appeared or helped create some big-name television shows and workout products. He has gained extensive experience through his training skills which have shaped up many in Hollywood and Victoria’s Secret Models. He maintains a philosophy that connects body and mind that he implemented in his own life as he struggled with his weight issues as a youth. Brett uses his philosophy to encourage and educate children worldwide to find inner strength and turn it into a passion.
Ashley Borden
Ashley Borden is a personal trainer to many high-profile and A-list Hollywood stars, major league ballplayers, and professional athletes. Her creative, customized experiences coupled with her high-energy and wit has made her highly sought after. Ashley has been recognized by magazines and awards for her positive, motivating techniques, and television appearances. She emerged from her battles with eating disorders finding balance in nutrition and physical activity. Ashley endeavors to share her personal experience by inspiring others to take their lives back to a healthy place.
Cardio Barre
The Cardio Barre website is your one-stop resource for information, inspiration, and class locations. They also introduce you to people in the industry that have dedicated themselves to teaching and guiding others towards a healthy and energetic life. Cardio Barre uses light weight training, zero impact, and burns fat incredibly. Take a look at this website if you are interested in implementing this unique type of workout to sculpt and tone yourself to health.
Nicole Handler
Back in 2012, Nicole decided to challenge herself to get in shape and lead a healthier life. Using a holistic methodology, Nicole developed a passion for running and trying all varieties of exercise. She found incredible results including losing a bunch of weight, running a marathon, and dedicating herself to personal training. She will admit to loving food and believes you should enjoy eating. Thus, she offers recipes that take traditionally unhealthy foods many people indulge in, and turns them into healthier options. Nicole’s website, “Fitful Focus” encourages you to join her on her continuing journey to find new ways to stay fit and healthy without sacrificing tasty food.
Dick Talens
Coming from a family of doctors, you may not have expected Dick Talens to have weight issues- but he did. Like many people out there, Dick loved food and hated exercise. He was always told to minimize his food intake and increase physical activity. Finally, he decided to take that advice to an unhealthy extreme and began to starve himself. Though he found motivation in the fact he had thinned out, he still disliked his appearance. That is where he found his newfound passion for fitness, absorbing any information he could get his hands on. Dick's transformation was incredible. However, his weight kept yo-yoing, and he had some work to do to find out why and how to stop it. Through education and experimentation, he was able to figure out how to break the cycle. Through this experience and knowledge, he brings education, information, and motivation to his readers to take their health into their own hands and break dieting and weight yo-yoing themselves so that they can enjoy results that last.
Erin Weiss
Erin Weiss suffered from something many can relate to- emotional eating. Her website “Live Life Active,” chronicles her battle with food and her journey to change her own life. From being overweight to becoming extreme in her her fitness to the point that she even felt her weight had slid completely to the other side of the spectrum, she lets you in on her battle to find balance. Erin found that putting her story out there for others to read was a key to her finally taking accountability for herself. Plus, it helped to inspire others who felt alone and lost in their food issues and incorporate a balanced, realistic, and healthy way to live.
Jenn Mitchell
Comeback Momma is a website that shares the story of its creator, Jenn Mitchell. She lets you in on her struggles with weight after having children and battling more than one bout of post-partum depression. Jenn maintains her blog to help inspire other women to fight to find the best in themselves no matter what is trying to keep them down. She shares tips and information that helped her find health and happiness so that others can use it to help themselves. Jenn also stresses the importance of other aspects of your life and not getting caught up in unrealistic fitness fads. Her overall message is to find a balance to achieve happiness.